Pens get three shorthanded goals in this game including a penalty shot from Ben Street to win this back and forth game 6-4.

Peter Merth and Ryan Schnell are the extras. Nick Petersen is home. I erroneously identified Petersen as missing in the game tweets. He is technically “day to day” with an ailment. Joey Mormina returned from injury.

Brad Thiessen vs. David Aebischer

First Period: IceCaps would strike first after a failed clear by the Penguins and a turnover from Kendall McArdle to put the IceCaps up 1-0. Right after, Arturs Kulda took a penalty off the faceoff for a high stick. On the ensuing power play, Bryan Lerg scored off a nice cross ice pass from Paul Thompson to even things at 1-1. A nice answer goal by the Pens.

Second Period: Zach Sill digs a puck away from an IceCap behind Aebischer’s net and shovels it to Ryan Craig who scores on the open net. Then it would be the IceCaps to score right back when Brett Festerling was in the right place at the right time when Jason King took a puck off of a Penguin and fired it at Thiessen, who was unsuspecting to what was going on. He actually was standing up when the puck went in. Just a realy fluky goal by the Pens. Then, with the Pens killing off of a Matt Rust hook, Ben Street would get hauled down on a breakaway. He would be awarded a penalty shot and would score on it. Only the third time in WBS history that the Pens would score on a penalty shot (Rico Fata in Binghamon in January 2006, Dustin Jeffrey against Manitoba in Winnipeg in October 2009). Jonathan Bombulie had this gem of a tweet:

Third Period: Philip Samuelsson hauls down Carl Klingberg on a breakaway and Klingberg would get a penalty shot. Thiessen would make a kick save to keep things 3-2. Ben Maxwell would score right after to even things at three. Then, Cody Chupp would get whistled for boarding and the Pens would score two shorthanded goals on a Ben Street pickoff in the St. John’s offensive zone and would rush in with Bryan Lerg who scored backhanded. Then, on the same penalty kill :21 later, Mormina would score on a drop pass from Lerg to make it 5-3. Jason Gregoire would score with 5:26 left to bring St. John’s back withing one but that would be the closest they would get as with Aebischer pulled, Ryan Craig would score an empty net goal.

Big win, Big, big win for the Pens. They rematch tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Wilkes-Barre time.

Three Stars: 3) Spencer Machacek (assist, -1) 2) Jason Gregoire (goal, assist, -1) and 1) Bryan Lerg (two goals, assist, -1)

Around the Division: Hershey scores four unanswered goals in the third period to comeback and win 6-4 in Binghamton. Norfolk breaks a 2-2 deadlock in the third vs. Connecticut to win 4-2 in Hampton Roads and Syracuse wins 3-2 in a shootout in Albany.

Standings: Bears are overall AHL leaders with 55 points. Norfolk has 49 points in second, Penguins with 47 points in third. Pesky Syracuse now is nine back with 38 points and Binghamton has 34 points.

Conference: 1-HER (55) 2-StJ (49) 3-CT (44) 4-NOR (49) 5-WBS (47) 6-MCH (44) 7-WOR (43) 8- ADK (42)

Let’s Go Pens!

Penguins get three goals in the first period, two from Paul Thompson and hang on to win 3-2 tonight in Norfolk. Norfolk had enjoyed the AHL’s best third period goal differential at +18.

Prior to the game, Simon Despres was called up to Pittsburgh but was hurt and Eric P from the Wilkes-Blog tweeted this postgame:

Damn.

Anyway, pressing matters on the farm. Cody Chupp, Ryan Schnell and Peter Merth were in. Nick Petersen was the lone healthy scratch. Personnel wise, Joey Mormina is on this trip. So too, Scott Munroe. Tom Grace said on radio that the Pens will practice tomorrow in Norfolk then bus to Philadelphia where they will fly out of Thursday morning to St. John’s, Newfoundland. They will not return to Wilkes-Barre / Scranton till at least Monday. He further went on to say that if Scott Munroe has a good prcatice we may see him at some point this coming weekend. For now, it was…

Brad Thiessen vs. Dustin Tokarski

First Period: Paul Thompson would find a puck in front and put it in the right top corner over Tokarski to put the Pens up 1-0. Then, :16 later after a Ryan Schnell and Eric Neilson fight, Thompson would score again to put the Pens up 2-0. Late, with Evan Oberg in the box for a trip, Ben Street would score on a nice wrist shot predated by an aggressive Wilkes-Barre forecheck.

Second Period: :53 in, ex-WBS Penguin Michel Ouellet would find the back of the net to put the Pens on the board. Norfolk would then build momentum but Thiessen shut the door the rest of the period, which was highlighted by Alex Grant dropping the aforementioned Ouellet with a right hand.

Third Period: Penguins would generate early chances, but a Radko Gudas point shot would elude Thiessen. Wonky shot by Gudas. Replay showed the puck hop over Thiessen’s pad to imply a deflection with traffic in front. Midway thorough this period Grace mentioned that the Penguins looked “nervous.” I mentioned in the game tweets that you can’t play not to lose. Especially against Norfolk. This theory would be tested, as the Pens would take two unnecessary delay of game calls in succession but the Pens killed both. Late, with Tokarski pulled, the Admirals were unable to find the equalizer and the Pens hung on fo the much needed win.

Pens win fifth straight on the road and 14th overall away from Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

Three Stars: 3) Radko Gudas (goal, +1) 2) Ben Street (goal, assist, +1) and 1) Paul Thompson (two goals, +2)

Around the Division: No one else skated.

Standings: Hershey is idle with 49 points. Admirals and Penguins are tied in points with 45 points. Syracuse and Binghamton are tied in points as well for fourth and fifth respectively with 34 points between them.

Conference: 1) HER (49) 2-StJ (47) 3-CT (44) 4-NOR (45) 5-WBS (45) 6-MCH (44) 7-WOR (41) 8-ALB (39)

Probably won’t have much in the way of a blog update tomorrow or Friday with a travel day. If there’s call up I’ll have it here on the blog. Pens are off Friday, so we may be scarce content wise here on the blog but Twitter is the best way to stay on top of the minutiae.

Let’s Go Pens!